Spring crafts bloom despite snow

Tom Gibson of Isle La Motte displays his handmade bird houses during a craft show sponsored by the Swanton Arts Council on Saturday.

SWANTON — Another few inches of snow didn’t stop the Swanton Arts Council’s first spring craft show on April 1 in the Holy Trinity Church.

All the showcased crafts were the work of 23 local artisans, such as Swanton resident Mike Barkyoumb, who displayed his watercolor paintings, or Amanda Gervais, of Isle La Motte, who showed her handcrafted sterling silver jewelry.

A man occupied one table showing what seemed to be replica cabins, miniature Vermont homes. There was a log cabin. There was a larger log cabin. A quaint rural home. A farm. An outhouse.

In fact, these were birdhouses, handmade by Tom Gibson, of Isle La Motte. Gibson said birdhouse-crafting became his hobby after retirement eight years ago. Now he constructs these intricate ornithological homes in an average of three days. He said he even makes miniature birdhouse replicas of people’s homes.

Swanton’s Heather Buczkowski led the committee that organized the show. While the snow fell outside the church on Saturday morning, Buczkowski wandered the show, interviewing artisans on her phone and live-streaming the walkthrough to the Swanton Arts Council’s Facebook page.

The show resulted from three months of planning. “It is a lot of work,” Buczkowski said. “The last week is when you’re busiest, though.”